Silenced by Sugar

Cookies & Chance Mysteries, #5

"Silenced by Sugar" is the fifth book in Ms. Bruns Cookies & Chance Mysteries series. With this book we returned to Colwestern, New York. We find Sally Donovan aka Sally Muccio (finally married to Mike) and Josie Sullivan (her BFF and head baker at Sally’s Samples) being invited to be guests on Someone’s in the Kitchen with Donna, a popular show on the Food Network. The host, Donna Dooley, has purchased the Cookie Crusade contest and hopes to revisit past winners highlighting their signature cookie recipes and plugging their businesses. But not all is sunshine and baking. Donna's assistant turns out to be Josie dreaded nemesis, Kelly Thompson. They went to culinary school together. Then a dead body is found! Fingers are pointed at Josie and Sal ends up on the case.

Since I’m a big foodie, this book was a winner. Who doesn't love food and mayhem. They combine like a good cookie and this one is well mixed.

Readers are in for personnel conflicts, professional jealousies, secrets and lies. Author Catherine Bruns has provided clever clues to follow as well as engaging descriptions and dialogue. You get a realistic investigation style for Sally. Although she admits multiple murders have forced her to improve her sleuthing skills. She will need them all in this book.

"Silenced by Sugar" can be read as a stand alone book, but you may want to dive into the first book to help with the background story. But it’s not necessary. "Silenced by Sugar" is a fast paced mystery filled with great characters. This book is a perfect read for any fan of this series or a newbie that is a food fan like me.

Book Blurb for Silenced by Sugar

Full-time baker and sometime-sleuth Sally Muccio is enjoying life as a new bride and only wishes that sales in her bakery would pick up. So when popular TV host Donna Dooley invites her and best friend, Josie, to be guests on Someone's in the Kitchen with Donna, it’s the answer to their prayers. The pair is excited about the opportunity until they discover Donna's new assistant is none other than Josie's former nemesis from culinary school, Kelly Thompson.

Like cookies in a hot oven, temperatures rise, and their animosity escalates into a food fight during the taping—which then goes viral! But when a dead body is then discovered on the set, fingers immediately point to Josie, and Sal's usual sassy partner is at a loss of how to defend herself. Sal's world is once again plunged into chaos as she attempts to keep her friend out of jail, control a blast from the past that threatens to harm her marriage, and keep her crazy parents at bay as they film a commercial for a funeral home. Already knee deep in dough, Sal discovers a possible link between the current murder and an unsolved one from the past. But she’ll have to work fast because a killer is on her trail and determined to silence Sal...forever.

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